On this day August 27th we received at Akamasoa the First Lady of Madagascar, the wife of the President of the Republic Mrs. Vohangy Rajaonarimampianina!

She arrived at 10 am with a large delegation of ladies!

Arriving at the Welcome Centre we showed and explained her how poor families arrive at the Welcome Centre and we showed her statistics of last year proving we helped more than 34,000 people throughout the year!

Then we visited and toured the community at the dorms and First Lady was very sensitive to see all this poor families!

She greeted and shook hands!

After visiting dormitories where each family was sitting with their children’s bed, our heart was sad to see so much distress but we have to know that these families are already under way to be healed and saved because we have to remember that families still living on the street are ten times more miserable!

Then we went into the courtyard at AKAMASOA Center where children crowd, adults and elderly people were waiting for us!

Ms. Vololona in charge of the homeless welcomed the First Lady at Akamasoa Centre.

And the First Lady said:
“I was myself in the street 20 years ago (she said), now I try to be compassionate and to help my countrymen because they helped me. I have to help them myself now.”

After Marie Rose explained the problem of the careers, since nine months we have not been able to buy dynamite and many workers were out of work or gone elsewhere!
She clearly explained the problem.

Similarly Mr Theophilus who spoke about the problem of drinking water, it has been a month that the city of  Manantenasoa does not have clean water!

The water from the City no longer gets into our hill!

People will get water wherever they can!

We have a lot of diarrhea because of it and people are losing a lot of time to get water!
Both have given to the First Lady the letter signed by the entire community Akamasoa!

I spoke and I thanked the First Lady to visit and encourage us!
I explained the problems of the children running away from our villages  to the City Downtown!
I sought help from the law enforcement officers to help us find all these children and discourage their settlements in the street!
The sloppiness is too big and that’s why the kids have no problem sleeping anywhere in the street, no one asked them why they are there!

I also said that the people of Akamasoa just need work and that 80% of our population has changed in the good sense of the word.
They want a better future for their children, but those who are addicted to alcohol and drugs lead to local discord and violence in our villages!
We take our responsibilities but we want to be helped by the State Police.

I think the message went through!
The First Lady spoke.
With great respect and great humility she said she will present all requests to the President of the Republic for these request to be communicated to each one of the responsible person at the State level.
Right now she says I brought you some help your Welcome Centre,  800 blankets, three and a half tons of rice,  3,000 pens, 1,000 notebooks and an envelope with 20 million Ariary in. ($ 7,828)

We enjoyed her help and social sensitivity towards the most disadvantaged families!
She promised us that we will work together and she will not let us alone!
Then the children of Akamasoa danced and gave her a nice gift basket made ​​by women of Akamasoa and table napkin!
Then we went to the 3nd floor of the Welcome Centre where it’s a beautiful view of the city of Antananarivo and we had a little juice drink in a very cordial atmosphere.
Leaders and youth of Akamasoa took pictures with the First Lady and then it was off.
Raising all together theirs hands Akamasoa People thanked First lady to have visit them with such respect and humility in a place where it was so much pain and suffering only few years ago!

The whole team of AKAMASOA was delighted of this visit and we have been left with a certain hope that this visit will produce good fruit for the future, we sincerely hope that’s true!

It was noon and all Akamasoa families returned to their place of employment to continue their daily work to support their children!

Sincerely!

Father Pedro

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